Green Space Visits and Barriers to Visiting during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Three-Wave Nationally Representative Cross-Sectional Study of UK Adults
Green Space Visits and Barriers to Visiting during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Three-Wave Nationally Representative Cross-Sectional Study of UK Adults
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DOI：
10.3390/land11040503
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发表时间：
2022-04-01
期刊：
影响因子：
3.9
通讯作者：
Mitchell, Richard
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Burnett, Hannah;Olsen, Jonathan R.;Mitchell, Richard
绿色空间被发现可以促进身体活动、社会接触和心理健康，然而，在使用和体验绿色空间方面存在不平等。英国对COVID-19疫情的应对措施对其公民的生活带来了非常重大的变化，这可能会影响他们访问绿色空间的意愿。这些生活方式的突然改变严重影响了人们的心理健康，导致人们更加依赖大自然在减轻压力和改善情绪方面的积极影响。虽然早期的横截面证据表明，作为对COVID-19“封锁”的回应，人们越来越倾向于自然，越来越多地参观绿色空间，但几乎没有纵向证据表明这些变化的持续性和平等性。这项研究探讨了绿色空间访问，访问的障碍，以及在英国大流行的整整一年中这两者的不平等。YouGov于2020年4月、2020年11月和2021年4月进行了三波具有全国代表性的横断面调查（N = 6713）。数据包括对绿色空间的访问报告，以及对于那些没有或很少访问的人，感知的障碍，包括可能与COVID-19风险相关的障碍。随着封锁限制的放松，绿色太空访问量在过去一年中有所增加; 68%的受访者报告在2021年4月进行了绿色太空访问，而2020年4月这一比例为49%。然而，使用方面的社会经济不平等现象持续存在并加剧。与COVID-19相关的障碍随着时间的推移而减少，但有迹象表明年轻人对绿色空间的兴趣有所增加。需要采取进一步行动，确保绿色空间的积极影响得到平等体验，并确保所有人都能获得高质量的绿色空间。
Green spaces have been found to promote physical activity, social contact, and mental wellbeing, however, there are inequalities in the use and experience of green spaces. The United Kingdom's (UK) response to the COVID-19 pandemic imposed very substantial changes on its citizens' lives which could plausibly affect their willingness to visit green spaces. These sudden lifestyle changes severely affected the population's mental health, leading to a greater dependency on the positive influence of nature in reducing stress and improving mood. Whilst early cross-sectional evidence suggested an increased orientation to nature and visits to green spaces as a response to COVID-19 'lockdowns', there is little longitudinal evidence about how sustained and equal these changes may have been. This study explored green space visits, barriers to visiting, and the inequalities of both of those over an entire year of the pandemic in the UK. Three waves of nationally representative cross-sectional surveys were administered by YouGov in April 2020, November 2020, and April 2021 (N = 6713). Data included reported visits to green spaces and, for those with no or infrequent visiting, perceived barriers including those plausibly related to the risk of COVID-19. Green space visits increased over the year as lockdown restrictions were relaxed; 68% of respondents reported green space visits in April 2021, compared with 49% in April 2020. However, the socio-economic inequalities in use were sustained and increased. COVID-19 related barriers fell over time, but there were indications of increased interest in green spaces among younger people. Further action is required to ensure that the positive impacts of green spaces are experienced equally, and that good quality green space is accessible to all.